Engine



WITNESSES J. L. BLACK.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.23.1918.

Patented J uly 1, 1919.

INVENTOR ATTOR N EY J. L. BLACK.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED mus. 191a.

Patented J uly 1, 1919.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTOR N EY J. L. BLACK.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.23. 10 s.

WM July 1, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR WWW Z. M

ATTORNEY lli ' JAMES L. BLACK, ALEXANDRIA, MINN'ESQE'LA.

INTERNADGOMBUSTION ENGIN 1E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 23, 1918. Serial No. 213,408.

State of Minnesota, have invented certain,

new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to internal combustion engines, and has for an object to provide an engine of this type embodying a cylinder open at each end and having mounted therein a pair ofpistons movable" toward and away from each other whereby the explosion may take place between the adjacent ends of the pistons to drive the same in opposite directions. r

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine embodying one or more cylinders, each open at each end and having mounted in each a pair of pistons adapted formovement toward and away from each other, and means for operatively connecting the opposed pistons of each cylinder so as to insure movement thereof in unison, and whereby the power of the engine may be increased without the necessity of increasing the number of cylinders, and whereby an efficient long stroke and small piston diameter engine may be obtained.

Another object of the inventionis to provide an internal combustion engine embodying a plurality of cylinders having combustion chambers formed at their intermediate portions, a pair of pistons movable in each cylinder toward and away from each other .withmeans for communicating motion be tween'the opposed pistons, and valves lo' cated within'the combustion chambers to control inlet and exhaust ports, each valve having its stern directed toward the crank shaft at the side of the engine upon which the valve is located with cam means for opening the valves at the proper interval to permit operation of the englne in accordance with the four cycle principle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means in an internal combustion engine of the character above set forth mounting the exhaust valve in packing glands integrally formed with the water jacket and appurtenant parts, and removable cages for the intake valves to support the same whereby the valve may be readily assembled in the engine and whereby the number of parts is materially reduced.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a valve operating mechanism in the nature of a cam of a specific type adapt-- ed for coaction with a revoluble valve stem, mounted also for reciprocatory movement to open and close the valve, whereby the valves may have imparted thereto a rotary move ment through a partial revolution at each engagement of the cam with the valve stem or when acting to move the valve to closed position so as to present a new portion of the valve for'engagement with a different portion of the valve seat each time to insure uniformity in the wear of the valve, and thereby improve the compression of the en- A still further object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine of the ty e above set forth, designed particularly or use in motor vehicles, embodying means for communicating motion between the crank shaft, and a clutch mechanism in cluding a friction wheel for each crank shaft, and a third frictionwheel movable therebetween mounted in aspecific manner whereby the third friction wheel may be brought into engagement with the pair of friction wheels bustion engine constructed in accordance with my invention, illustrating particularly the clutch mechanism.

Fig. 2, is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of the preceding figure.

Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Patented July I, 1919;

Fig. 4, is a detail view of one of the cams and valve operating mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention.

With reference to the drawings, 10 indicates the engine cylinders, of which four are entially at its intermediate portion as indicated at 12. Each cylinder is furthermore formed adjacent its intermediate portion with a lateral upwardly extending extension 13 designed to form a combustion chamber in communication with the annular groove 12 the combustion chamber of one cylinder being separate and independent of that of the other cylinders. The water jacket 11 is enlarged to inclose the combustion chamber 13. In one end wall of the combustion chamber is formed an opening 14 having a valve seat thereabout, and said opening 14 is in communication with a port 15 which extends through the water jacket-and is flanged exteriorly for connection to an exhaust manifold (not shown). The shell of the jacket near the exhaust port 15 is formed with an apertured enlargement 16 defining a packing gland or guide for a valve stem which is disposed parallel to and above its associated cylinder. A conical valve 18 of conventional type is mounted upon the inner end of each valve stem 17 for engagement upon the valve seat. Each valve chamber 13 is furthermore formed through the opposite end wall with a relatively large opening 19 designed to receive the reduced end 20 of a valve cage indicated generally at 21, one valve cage being provided for each cylinder. Each valve cage 21 is preferably cylindrical in configuration, and is tapered at 22 at its end opposite that end provided with the reduced extension 20. Each valve cage is furthermore formed with an arcuate passage or intake port 23 designed for communication at one end with a flanged cou ling member 24 formed integrally wit 'the shell of the water jacket, and its opposite'end opening into the combustion chamber and forming a valve seat 25. Each valve cage 21 is formed with a central tubular member 26 forminga acking gland or guide for the valve stem 2 which extends in parallelism to andabove its associated cylinder in ahnement with 1ts'asso-.

ciated valve stem 17 and extending oppositely thereto. The water jacket is formed with an internally threaded tubular extension 28 around each. cavity in which the valve cage 21 is received, and a threaded plug 29 is engaged in said threaded extension against the tapered portion 22 of the. valve cage to retain the same in place. A gasket 30 may be interposed between the meeting faces of said plug and valve cage to at their opposite ends to pistons 34, of which a pair are located in each cylinder for movement toward and away from each other. Mounted upon each crank shaft 32 at adj acent ends is a pinion 33 forming part of timing gears, the other members of which are indicated at 33 and constituted by pin- I lQIlS mounted upon cam shafts 35 which extend through the crank casing in proximity to the, outer ends of the valve stems 27 and 17. The outer end of each valve stem 17 and 27 is threaded and inserted in a tubular plunger rod 36 which is guided within the tubular extension 37 of the crank case extending inwardly. J am nuts 38 are applied to the valve stem for engagement against the outer ends of the plunger rod 36 so as to vary the length of the structure thus defined. Each plunger is provided with an integrally formed head 39 having a raceway formed in its inner face to receive spherical bearing members 40 which also operate in a race-way formed in a disk 41 encircling the plunger rod. A coil spring 42 is embraced about each plunger rod 36 to hear at one end against the inner surface of the crank case and at its opposite end against the disk member 41. Each cam shaft is provided with cams indicated at 44, and corresponding in number to the number of cylinders. Each cam is beveled on one side face as indicated at 43 so as to present a substantially cuneiform appearance in edge view as shown in Fig. 4. The narrowest portion of the cam should be located opposite the nose of the cam and of a width slightly less than the radius of the discous.

enlargement 39. the larger end of the cam corresponding in width to the diameter of said enlargement. Each cam is located with relation to the discous enlargement 39 so that the narrow portion of the cam when engaging the discous enlargement 39 will bear upon the same entirely to one side of the axis of said discous enlargement, or the axis of the associated valve rod, while in another position of the cam the broadest portion may engage the entire face of the discous'enlargement. The crank shafts are provided upon adjacent ends with sprocket wheels 45, said sprocket wheels being located exteriorly of the casing, and connected by means of a till Mia crank shafts 32 are extended exteriorly of their casings and provided with friction disks having suitable frictional material applied to their peripheries for engagement with a friction disk 50 movable therebetween and similarly provided with friction material. The disks 49 and 50 are adapted for peripheral engagement and for disposition in the same plane, and the friction wheel 50 is mounted upon a shaft 51 connected, by means of a universal joint 52 to the shaft of the transmission mechanism (not shown). The universal joint 52 permits the transmission of power between the transmission and the shaft 51 and at the same time permits vertical movement of said shaft. The shaft 51 is supportedin a bearing 53 constructed to reduce friction therebetween through the provision of roller or ball bearings, and said bearing member 53 is provided with oppositely extending horizontal trunnions 54.- which are seated with enlargements 55 therefor, formed in a split supporting mem ber 56. The supporting member 56 is se cured to the lower end of a vertically move able cylindrical rod 57 slidably mounted in a bracket 58 mounted upon the end of the frame or any suitable support. The upper end of the member 57 is embraced by means of a flanged collar 59, and is reduced and threaded above the flanged collar to receive a pair of nuts 60. A coil spring 61 is then embraced about said member 57 and interposed between the upper end of the bearing member of the bracket 58 and the under side of the flanged collar 59 whereby -to urge said member 57 and also the shaft in an up- 'ward-direction to bring the friction wheel 50 into engagement with its coacting members 49. A bell crank 62 may be provided to depress the member 57 by engagement of one arm with the upper end of said member 57 whereby to move, against the tension of the spring 61 the wheel 50 from engagement with the coacting wheel 49 thereby discontinuing the transmission of power therebetween.

The offsets of the crank shaft are so arranged preferably, as to dispose the pistons of the intermediate cylinders in positlons in proximity to each other while the pistons of the remote cylinders are located at opposite ends of their cylinders substantially as shown in Fig. 2. It will be obvious however, that this arrangement may be varied at will without departing from the spirit of the invention. The cams are furthermore arranged relative to the positions of the pistons at different times so that while an exsigned to take place when the pistons of one cylinder are in mutual proximity so that the force of the explosion may drive them in opposite directions, and the full value of the expansive force of the gas is utilized. In this manner an engine embodying. this principle of double action may operate with a long stroke, and relatively small piston diameter. The valves are designed to be opened and closed at proper periods by the action of the cams 42 substantially in the manner of the conventional type of internal combustion engines to supply charges to the combustion chamber and to permit the exhaustion therefrom of burnt gases. The camshafts 35 are operated by the transmission of'power from the crank shafts through the gears 33 and 34 which should be propwhen considering any cam when the same is moving so as to permit the valve operated thereby to return to closed position, the thinnest portion of the cam will engage the disk member 39 adjacent the periphery thereof thereby applying a slight rotary motion thereto with the result that the valve stem and consequently the valve is rotated through a partial revolution and each time the valve is ermitted to engage the valve seat at a di erent point thereof. In this manner the wear upon the valve is uniform and the compression of the engine maintained through a longer period than would be the case if the valves were opened and closed without rotating the same. Attention is called to the valve cage 21 of the intake port forming a mounting for the valve and at the same time permitting the disassemble ment of the said valves and valve stems. It will be noted that if the plugs 29 are withdrawn and the valve cages 21 are removed from their cavities the exhaust valves 18 may be readily withdrawn through the cavities occupied by said valve cages, by disconnecting the plungers from-said valve stems. From the fore oing it will be obvious that T have provided an internal combustion engine of a new and novel construction in which the crank shaft may be provided with relatively large throws thereby economizing in the use of fuel, the maximum amount of expansion of the ases bein utilized. I furthermore provi e a nove combination of this type of internal combustion engine with a clutch mechanism'of the friction type in the form of a transmission and also freely upon engagement with the wheels 49 1 until firm frictional engagement therebetween is established. Other uses and advantages will readil with the art to w ich this invention appertains.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations thereof may be made, and I therefore desire to reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction, or otherwise altering the arrangement of the correlative parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a horizontal cylinder having an upstanding combustion chamber at its mid-length, the end walls of said chamber being pierced with openings, alined pistons within said cylinder, crank cases at its extremities, and shafts therein whose cranks are connected with said pistons to cause them to move oppositely and simultaneously; of a Water jacket surrounding the mid-length of the cylinder and the combustion chamber, an exhaust port communicating with one of said openings, a valve therefor, a cam in one crank case for actuating this valve, a cage Whose inner end fits the opening in the other wall of the combustion chamber and whose body contains an intake port having a valve seat in its inner end,

a valve therefor, and a cam in the other crank case for actuating this valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a horizontal cylinder having an upstanding combustion chamber at its mid-length, the end ,walls of said chamber being pierced with openings, alined pisoccur to those familiartons within said cylinder, crank cases at its extremities, and shafts therein whose cranks are connected with said pistons to cause them to move oppositely and simultaneously; of a water jacket surrounding the combustion chamber and cylinder at its midlcngth and cored with an opening constituting the exhaust port and having a valve seat at its inner end, a valve for this seat, a. cam in one crank case for actuating said valve, a guide formed within the shell of the water jacket for the seat of the exhaust valve, a cage removably closing the opening I chamber communicating with the enlargement, a waterjacket whose shell incloses the annular enlargement and the combustion chamber, the end walls of the latter having intake and exhaust ports, valves for the same, valve stems extending parallel with and above the cylinders, crank casings'at the outer ends of the latter, crank shafts therein, cams connected with the crank shafts and actuating the valve stem and pistons .driven by the cranks and mounted in said cylinder. v

' In testlmony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of a witness.

' JAMES L. BLACK.

Witness:

M. E. J ONES. 

